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Gardening and Depression – Garden Envy

As the warm weather returns (and hopefully stays!) I start to wish that I had a garden for me to go and enjoy the sunshine in.

Alas I am stuck on the top floor (2nd or 3rd depending how you count them) and have to look out at other people enjoying their own little space, in a flat that will soon double as a sauna once the real summer arrives.

As I continue on my journey to recovery I am thinking more and more about distractions that could help people with depression and gardening would seem to be a trick I miss out on.

Recently a good friend asked me to help clear her garden as it was overgrown. I say garden loosely as when I got into it the first thing that I thought about was the hidden tribesmen and their spears attacking me as we headed deeper into the jungle.

I am not green fingered either, unless you include an awful nose picking and cold incident but I will not elaborate!

There was something incredibly therapeutic about taking all your built up frustration onto that poor defenceless weed that needs pulling up or removing a big stump that wont budge until you really get angry! (think Incredible Hulk angry – although more Incredible Bulk!)

With each push of the spade into the earth I was thinking about something that had caused my depression and the poor roots of the trees did not stand a chance. Not only was it a great form of therapy it was also hard work so bingo! 2 for the price of one in the same afternoon. I also discovered I’m a bit of a madman with a pair of secateurs and overgrowing ivy.

It is nice to be outside in the fresh air and sunshine as opposed to the same four walls and darkness, it can improve your mood to have a bit of warmth beating down on you and a bit of hard work to get the blood racing. I am more and more aware of the benefits of embracing different ideas to work on bringing my mood up and gardening is something I wish I had the opportunity to do more off.

Distractions are important when dealing with depression, having something to do to take your mind off the daily stresses and worries that weigh us down. If you are lucky enough to have a garden get out there and enjoy it, if it needs working on even better as you have a target to aim for and reach. My great aunt has asked me to go around and help her with some gardening and I cant wait to get out there!

If you do not have a garden how about Ecominds? Its a project run by Mind to get people outdoors

The following is taken from the Mind website

Ecominds projects

Through Ecominds, Mind has funded 130 environmental projects in England to provide a range outdoor of outdoor green activities for people with mental health problems. Some projects are open to all, others require you to phone up for more information, and some require referrals from your GP. Ecominds is part of the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme.

I so agree on The Garden Thing, especially for the effect on mood. We’re in Essex but too poor (since I’ve been unemployed) to employ anyone, though you’d be welcome to join me on a weed-fest any day, preferably a sunny one! 🙂

Great post! Gardening is good for the body and mind. I used to be a member of a gardening club many years ago, after reading this I’m inspired to go out and get gardening! I also live in a flat in London, although ground floor but we don’t have our own garden. I’ll definitely check out that Ecominds 🙂 x

My grandmother told me to put my hands in the earth every day but for years I had no earth that was mine at all, so I would put pots on window sills, terrifying those walking below, I had strange and wonderful steam loving pot plants in the bathroom and grew lettuce under lights, and mushrooms in dark cupboards.. in the last few years I have stopped the travelling and now I surely do have a garden of my own.. but in the old days i used to walk in parks, through rose gardens and along rivers every weekend, always alone and I always felt better.. lovely post, do you have a terrace up there, or a bakcony?, c